Department for Transport

Garden Bridge

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding from the public purse his Department has allocated to the garden bridge project; and how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department have been working on that project.

Andrew Jones: In 2014, the Department committed £30 million of funding towards the Garden Bridge as a way of kick-starting the project and to act as a catalyst to stimulate private sector investment. Various conditions were attached to the Department’s funding, and around £7.5 million will be clawed back should the bridge not be built. No Department for Transport staff work full-time on the project.

Volkswagen: Fines

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to impose fines on Volkswagen as a result of its manipulation of emissions tests in 2015.

Mr John Hayes: The Government continues to take the unacceptable actions of the Volkswagen Group extremely seriously. We want to ensure that the Volkswagen Group faces appropriate legal consequences for its manipulation of emissions tests and are continuing to consider how best to do this. We continue to consider opening our own investigation and it would therefore be inappropriate and potentially damaging to any prosecution to discuss our plans publicly at this stage. Prosecuting authorities from across Europe have met to discuss and coordinate their investigations. Department for Transport officials have been part of those coordinating efforts and continue to monitor the progress of those investigations.

Breakdown Vehicles: Lighting

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to allow the road rescue industry to use red lights when recovering broken down vehicles.

Andrew Jones: There are no plans currently to allow the road rescue industry to use red lights when recovering broken down vehicles. There are a range of existing measures available to make rescue vehicles visible and warn others of their presence such as the use of roof mounted amber beacons and retro-reflective material to the side and rear.

Cabotage: Regulation

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what system is available to the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency to ensure compliance with cabotage regulations.

Andrew Jones: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) ensures compliance with the cabotage regulations by carrying out roadside checks, which are conducted by DVSA enforcement examiners.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Finance

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how and when the Community and Environment Fund and Business and Local Economy Fund allocated to the route of High Speed 2 Phase One will become available.

Andrew Jones: We anticipate the Community and Environment, and Business and Local Economy funds will be open for applications in early 2017 at which point guidance on the application process will be published.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when it is planned that the independent regulatory body to whom the High Speed 2 Interim Construction Commissioner will report and be held accountable will be appointed; who will make up that body; and who will decide who is appointed to that body.

Andrew Jones: The Secretary of State will consider and approve proposals for membership of the independent panel following Royal Assent of the High Speed Rail (London to West Midlands) Bill.

High Speed Two

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what services are being provided to HS2 Ltd by the Maclean Partnership; and what the cost of those services has been to date.

Andrew Jones: McLean Partnership have provided two forms of service to date; executive search at a cost of £588,750, and provision of administrative and payroll services for interim staff at a cost of £286,306.

High Speed Two

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) salary, (b) postal address and (c) other contact details are of the interim Construction Commissioner for High Speed 2.

Andrew Jones: The salary of the Interim HS2 Construction Commissioner is £575 per day, plus VAT. Correspondence to the Interim Commissioner can be addressed to HS2 Ltd, 1 Canada Square, London, E14 5AB or by email to [emailprotected]/*  */!function(t,e,r,n,c,a,p){try{t=document.currentScript||function(){for(t=document.getElementsByTagName('script'),e=t.length;e--;)if(t[e].getAttribute('data-cfhash'))return t[e]}();if(t&&(c=t.previousSibling)){p=t.parentNode;if(a=c.getAttribute('data-cfemail')){for(e='',r='0x'+a.substr(0,2)|0,n=2;a.length-n;n+=2)e+='%'+('0'+('0x'+a.substr(n,2)^r).toString(16)).slice(-2);p.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(decodeURIComponent(e)),c)}p.removeChild(t)}}catch(u){}}()/*  */. The Interim Commissioner can also be contacted via the following website: https://hs2cc.wordpress.com/contact/.

Home Office

Independent Anti-slavery Commissioner

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how (a) much funding from the public purse has been allocated to and (b) many full-time equivalent staff have been employed by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner in each of the last two years.

Sarah Newton: The Government allocation to the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner was £500,000 in 2015/16 and £575,000 in 2016/17. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner employed six full-time staff and one part-time staff in 2015/16, and seven full-time and one part-time staff in 2016/17.

Human Trafficking

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who passed through the National Referral Mechanism as victims of modern slavery and trafficking were granted discretionary leave to remain in the UK in order to assist in police investigations and prosecutions in each fiscal year since 2009-10.

Sarah Newton: Our records indicate that the number of individuals who received a positive conclusive grounds decision from the National Referral Mechanism (see Note 1) who were granted discretionary leave to remain in the UK with the requirement that they assist the police in their investigations (see Note 2) were as shown in Table 1 below.Table 1 - Number of individuals granted discretionary leave to remain in the UK with the requirement that they assist the police in their investigations, following a positive conclusive grounds outcome from the National Referral Mechanism.Referral YearNumber granted discretionary leave to remain in the UK with the requirement that they assist the police in their investigations2009/2010202010/2011302011/2012282012/2013572013/2014312014/2015732015/2016801. The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the process by which people who may have been victims of modern slavery are identified, referred, assessed and supported in the United Kingdom. (“Modern slavery” is a term that covers slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking.) The initial referral goes through a two stage process: a reasonable grounds stage and then, for those with a positive reasonable grounds outcome (where it is considered that the person is a potential victim of trafficking/slavery), a conclusive grounds stage (where the person is considered to be a confirmed victim of trafficking/slavery).2. The data in the table shows those with a positive conclusive grounds outcome only with a particular outcome type ("VOT DL Granted"), identifying them as someone granted discretionary leave to remain in the UK with the requirement that they assist the police in their investigations.3. Data extracted on 01 September 2016.4. Data is broken down into Financial Years, showing the year the referral was made.5. The data has been extracted from the Case Immigration Database.6. These statistics have been taken from a live operational database. As such, numbers may change as information on that system is updated.

Slavery

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Reasonable Grounds decisions reached through the National Referral Mechanism took longer than five days in each year since 2009-10; and whether the decision-making in each of those decisions was by (a) UK Visa and Immigration or (b) the UK Human Trafficking Centre.

Sarah Newton: The National Crime Agency (NCA) regularly publishes National Referral Mechanism data but does not collect data about the timescales for reaching a Reasonable Grounds decision by either UKVI or the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit (previously known as the UKHTC).

Asylum: Children

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 37587, what progress the Government has made on consulting local authorities to identified a specified number of children refugees to be resettled in the UK in the next year under subsection (1) of 67 of the Immigration Act of 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Children

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2016 to Question 37587, how many child refugees are planned to be resettled in the UK in the next year in accordance with subsection (1) of 67 of the Immigration Act of 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2016 to Question 42399, what the equivalent data is for the most recent period for which such data exists, broken down by whether the application was made by (a) the police, (b) the National Crime Agency or (c) immigration officers.

Sarah Newton: Up to end March 2016: Sixteen Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders (STPOs) have been made on sentencing in the Crown Court under section 14 of the Modern Slavery Act, as decided by the Court. Data on the number of STPOs applied for on sentencing is not collated centrally.No STPOs have been applied for or made on application under section 15 of the Modern Slavery Act in the Magistrates’ Court.Nine Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders (STROs) have been applied for on application to the Magistrates’ Court, of which seven were applied for by the police and two by Immigration Enforcement.The two STROs applied for by Immigration Enforcement have been made. Of the seven STROs applied for by the police, one has been made. Of the remaining six, two were refused, one was withdrawn and three cases were adjourned.This data was run in July 2016 specifically to answer Question 42399 and is not verified to the same standard as Official Statistics.

Slavery

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has any plans routinely to collect and publish data on (a) the response times and (b) the number of referrals through the National Referral Mechanism by First Responders.

Sarah Newton: The National Crime Agency (NCA) publishes quarterly data on the number of referrals made by different First Responder organisations, which can be accessed through the following link: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics The NCA does not collect data about response times by First Responders. The Government is piloting a new approach to the NRM, at the end of which we will consider, among other things, which data should be routinely collected.

Police Custody: Mental Illness

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that police have better training for people in custody suites suffering with mental health issues.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent on work by Ben Emmerson QC during the period that he served as the most senior lawyer for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; and if she will publish a breakdown of those costs.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: Applications

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration applications were affected by the flooding incident at Leeds Royal Mail Depot on 15 December 2015; how many such applications have been resolved; what additional resources are being applied to resolve outstanding such cases; what the target timescales for completion of outstanding such cases are; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Football: Hooliganism

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been banned from attending Premiership and Championship matches in England over the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what correspondence she has received from legal counsel for the independent investigation into child sexual abuse relating to the conduct of (a) Dame Lowell Goddard and (b) Ben Emmerson QC between the date of their appointment to the inquiry and the dates of their departure.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when (a) she and (b) her Department's officials have met John O'Brien, Secretary of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse since his appointment to that position.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Vetting: Greater Manchester

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service were not resolved within 60 days in (a) the UK, (b) Manchester and (c) Manchester Withington constituency in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Vetting

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time was for the completion of pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service in each of the last three years in (a) the UK and (b) Manchester Withington constituency.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Vetting

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time was for applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service for each police force area in England for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children: Refugees

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy to undertake tooth checks for incoming unaccompanied child refugees.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Housing

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Compass contract in Scotland with Serco for asylum accommodation and the press notice issued by Serco on 21 September 2016, Compass contract in Scotland and Northern Ireland, which headings will be covered in the due diligence process.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date she first became aware that allegations of racism had been made against Dame Lowell Goddard in her capacity as Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; and who made her aware of those allegations.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what expenses were claimed by Dame Lowell Goddard during her time as Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; and if she will publish a breakdown of those expenses.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Local Authorities: Licensing

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of licensing powers available to local authorities.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government's position is on the negotiations on phase IV of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Government’s position on the negotiations for Phase IV of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) has not changed. The UK continues to support: the proposed level of ambition, including preserving the integrity of the Market Stability Reserve; a secure, liquid carbon market; better targeted carbon leakage support through a tiered approach; reduced administrative burdens on operators, especially small emitters; and the cost-effective administration of funds, derived from the EU ETS, that support decarbonisation of industrial and energy sectors.

Carbon Emissions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an approach to carbon reduction other than emissions trading after the UK leaves the EU.

Jesse Norman: The Government remains committed to ensuring secure, affordable and clean energy, now and in future. The result of the referendum offers an opportunity to examine UK policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the Government will consider the UK’s future participation in the EU Emissions Trading System as part of the wider negotiation on leaving the EU, in consultation with stakeholders.

Construction: Equipment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to promote the use of construction equipment manufactured in the UK.

Jesse Norman: Construction equipment is a key sector for the UK economy, with revenues in excess of £11bn from 1500 UK companies employing 40000 people. Most of the equipment used on construction sites is provided by plant hire companies directly to the contractor or sub-contractor on a project by project basis. It is not something that either the client or the contractor generally purchases directly. That is why we believe that the most important thing the Government can do to promote the use of construction equipment manufactured in the UK is by working with the sector to improve its competitiveness and productivity. The Department also works closely with the Department for International Trade to help showcase the UK industry globally to help ensure it remains an important and growing part of the UK’s manufacturing footprint.The construction equipment sector is represented on the Automotive Council and has played an important role in setting the direction and long-term strategic priorities for the industry. A number of the sector’s manufacturers and their suppliers are involved in key innovation and development projects and programmes supported and funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Innovate UK. The Government has also supported the UK industry through schemes such as the Regional Growth Fund and the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI).

Electricity: Meters

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to provide further guidance to OFGEM on electricity markets and households with dynamically teleswitched meters.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Ministers do not plan to issue any guidance to Ofgem in relation to households with dynamically teleswitched meters.The Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into the energy markets considered competition in the restricted meters segment of the market, including dynamically teleswitched meters.In its final report published in June, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) included a number of provisions which will be implemented by the CMA through orders on suppliers and amendments to their licence conditions.

Rented Housing: Energy

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that landlords fulfil their responsibilities to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.

Jesse Norman: The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 requires that all landlords of domestic and non-domestic privately rented property in England and Wales ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach an energy performance rating of at least an E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies.The Department has consulted, and will continue to consult with landlord groups to help them understand the requirements of the regulations, and with local enforcement bodies. The Department will shortly publish guidance to assist non-domestic landlords in complying with their obligations under the regulations, and we will publish similar guidance for domestic landlords in due course.

Business Premises: Energy

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the application of band E energy efficiency standards on the amount of industrial and commercial property available for UK businesses.

Jesse Norman: The private rented sector Energy Performance Certificate band E minimum energy efficiency standard was established in the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015. The Impact Assessment published alongside the 2015 Regulations estimated that, as of 2014, approximately 200,000 non-domestic private rented sector properties in England and Wales had an energy performance rating below E, representing approximately 18% of the total non-domestic rental stock. The Department does not anticipate that the application of the regulations will have any effect on the availability of this property for UK businesses.

Warm Home Discount Scheme

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether public consultations or surveys were undertaken in the former Department for Energy and Climate Change to ascertain whether people trusted and understood the data-sharing element of the Warm Home Discount Scheme in the run-up to implementing that scheme.

Jesse Norman: Holding answer received on 19 October 2016



The Warm Home Discount consultation, published in December 2011, included questions on data sharing. Prior to the Warm Home Discount, the Energy Rebate Scheme, which ran for one year, used data-matching (of DWP and energy suppliers’ data) to identify a group of pensioners likely to be vulnerable to fuel poverty, so that their electricity supplier could award a one-off rebate to their electricity bill. This earlier scheme ran for one year. DWP Social Researchers carried out a small-scale qualitative evaluation of the scheme, involving telephone interviews with customers to investigate reactions to their personal data being used in this way – this includeding issues around privacy, security and data sharing, and the broader concept of data use in Government. The findings of the research and consultation responses can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment of public opinion his Department has made on the construction of nuclear power stations on sites not currently occupied by such stations.

Jesse Norman: The Government listed those sites potentially suitable for the deployment of new nuclear power stations in the National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation:www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47859/2009-nps-for-nuclear-volumeI.pdf.The draft National Policy Statement and list of potentially suitable sites underwent wide public consultation, including engagement with those local communities potentially affected by proposals, as well as parliamentary scrutiny before being designated in 2011.

Nuclear Reactors

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of accelerating the Small Modular Reactor Competition process.

Jesse Norman: Since launching the first phase of the competition in March, we have been exploring the potential of different Small Modular Reactor (SMR) designs and routes to commercialisation. In doing so we have drawn on the findings of the independent Techno-Economic Assessment, the Phase One expressions of interest documents, the meetings held by officials over the summer with 32 technology vendors, service providers and potential investors, and our continuing discussions with regulators. This evidence is being used to inform the future of the competition. The timings for any future competition phases is being kept under review, in line with wider SMR policy development.

Nuclear Reactors

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what forecast he has made of the date when the Government's Small Modular Reactor Competition (Phase One) will be completed.

Jesse Norman: At the time of the competition launch, it was announced as part of the Guidance for the Small Modular Reactor competition that we envisaged Phase One lasting until autumn 2016. We are not working to a specific date.

Nuclear Reactors

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the cost of the Small Modular Reactor Competition (Phase One) to its completion.

Jesse Norman: As stated in the published Guidance, the objective of this initial phase was to inform the development of government policy and the design of any subsequent competition stages, by gauging market interest in developing, commercialising and financing Small Modular Reactors in the UK. As such, a cost assessment has not been undertaken.

Nuclear Reactors

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what independent body or bodies he plans will judge phase one of the Small Modular Reactor Competition.

Jesse Norman: Phase One has not involved any evaluation or assessment of Small Modular Reactor proposals, beyond reviewing applicants against the published eligibility criteria, and therefore no independent bodies have been or will be making decisions during Phase One.

Nuclear Reactors

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to hold a second phase of the Small Modular Reactor Competition; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: As the Government stated at the outset of the competition, the intention of Phase One was to gauge market interest among global market actors in developing, commercialising and financing Small Modular Reactor Competitions in the UK. The evidence gathered during Phase One is being used to inform policy decisions, including the design of any future stages of the competition. Given that Phase One is still continuing, I am not able to provide any further information at this stage.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Visits Abroad

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what overseas visits he has made since his appointment.

Margot James: Ministerial visits are published quarterly on the Gov.UK website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bis-quarterly-publications-april-to-june-2012

Origin Marking

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of applying country-of-origin checks to UK businesses in the event that the UK leaves the EU without joining the EU Customs Union.

Margot James: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is currently working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to understand the impacts of applying country-of-origin checks to UK businesses in the event that the UK leaves the EU without joining the EU Customs Union. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said we will work hard to get the best deal for Britain.

Pharmacy: Competition

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the implications for competition of the vertical integration of pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: I have had no discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on the implications for competition of the vertical integration of pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers.

Conditions of Employment

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that the rights of part-time and agency workers will be (a) protected in the long-term and (b) retained in primary legislation.

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that all EU-derived employment rights will be (a) protected in the long-term and (b) retained in primary legislation after the UK leaves the EU.

Margot James: As a Government, we have been clear that we will do nothing to undermine workers’ rights. All law in this area at the time of exit will be brought under UK law as part of the Great Repeal Bill, ensuring continuity.

Nissan

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether a Minister of his Department was present at the meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chief Executive of Nissan, Carlos Ghosn on 14 October 2016.

Mr Nick Hurd: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Post Offices: Location

Tom Pursglove: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department provides for communities in which Post Offices require relocation.

Margot James: The provision and location of Post Offices is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited. Any proposal by Post Office Limited to relocate a post office within a community includes a six week local consultation conducted by the Post Office to let the community know what is happening and seek feedback from interested customers and stakeholders within the community. The Post Office carefully considers all feedback received during the consultation process before making a final decision on whether to relocate. The Government recognises the importance of post offices to communities and will have invested £2 billion in the Post Office during the period 2010 to 2018 to maintain the network and invest in transformation of the business which includes money to help relocate post offices to more sustainable locations in their communities. This investment has led to the highest level of network stability in decades.

Small Businesses: Economic Situation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK leaving the EU does not have a deleterious effect on the financial situation of small and medium-sized businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The Government remains committed to making Britain the best place in Europe to start and grow a business. That includes supporting those businesses that trade with the EU and wider international markets, as well as continuing to encourage record foreign direct investment that supports business and communities up and down the country.Over the coming weeks and months the Government will be engaging with businesses and key stakeholders up and down the country. We will listen to their concerns, aim to limit uncertainty in the transition and ensure our new relationship with the EU works for business.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Palestinian Authority

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment has he made of the ability of the Palestinian Authority to ensure that the human rights of all citizens are respected.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Palestinian Authority (PA) has made important progress on state-building, including the promotion and protection of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). Our Consul General in Jerusalem regularly engages with the PA and emphasises the importance of respecting human rights, particularly in regard to law and security. We encourage the PA to reflect their human rights obligations in domestic law and ensure they are fully adhered to. We are, however, concerned about the inability of the PA to access certain areas of the OPTs where Palestinians are subject to human rights violations, including through settler violence and the death penalty.

Palestinian Authority

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Palestinian Authority on tackling incitement to violence.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We regularly urge the Palestinian leadership to do more to condemn violence. Most recently in October 2016, our Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem pressed the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the importance of their swift condemnation of violent attacks. The Consul General in Jerusalem also met with PA Prime Minister Hamdallah in March, and raised our concerns on incitement. We continue to support the reinstatement of the Tripartite Committee on Incitement as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of incitement from either side.

Israel: Palestinians

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to promote negotiations on the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​The UK Government believes a negotiated two-state solution is in the firm interests of both Israel and the Palestinians. We are working through international organisations, including the UN and EU, to encourage both sides to take steps that rebuild trust - crucial for negotiations to succeed. Arab states also have a key role in the peace process and we are discussing with them ways we can move the situation forward. And we are in contact with the French about their initiative, launched in January, aimed at securing progress in the situation.But whilst we are doing all we can, ultimately peace will only come through negotiations between the parties. It is critical that Israel and the Palestinians take advantage of any momentum gathered through international efforts.

Palestinians: Equality

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to work with the Palestinian Authority to promote gender equality in the Palestinian territories.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office works closely with other government departments, including the Department for International Development (DFID), and with the Palestinian Authority to enhance gender equality in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. DFID has supported interventions to tackle violence against women and girls by working with the Palestinian security and justice sectors. Under the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programme, we attach great importance to gender sensitivity in project design and implementation. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem host events to celebrate the achievements of Palestinian women, including during last year’s International Day of Women.

Palestinian Authority

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote good governance in the Palestinian Authority.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works closely with other government departments to promote good governance in the Palestinian Authority (PA). In particular, the Department for International Development has helped improve the capacity and accountability of the PA including through technical assistance. The FCO also funds projects to improve accountability and to strengthen the role of civil society organisations, and the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) supports greater civilian oversight of the Palestinian Authority’s Security Forces.

Philippines: Foreign Relations

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic assessment he has made of relations between the Philippines and the UK since the appointment of President Rodrigo Duterte in June 2016.

Alok Sharma: This year marks the 70th anniversary of UK-Philippine diplomatic relations, and the Philippines will continue to remain an important partner for the UK in South East Asia. Our bilateral relationship is strong, and based on areas of shared interest such as regional and global security, trade and investment, science and innovation and education.The UK Government's view on the importance of human rights and the rule of law is clear, consistent and well known, including in the Philippines. Our Ambassador has repeatedly raised UK concerns over the rising death toll associated with the Philippine Administration's war on illegal drugs with the Government of the Philippines and others. We are also concerned by President Duterte's stated desire to reinstate the death penalty. The UK raised these concerns at the September session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and will continue to raise these issues with the Philippine Administration.

Japan: Foreign Relations

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2016 to Question 47490, whether during those discussions concerns were raised by Japanese investors and representatives of Japanese businesses about the UK's decision to leave the EU; and whether any conditions were placed on continued Japanese investment in the UK.

Alok Sharma: During my discussions, Japanese investors and business raised issues broadly in line with those set out in the Japanese government's paper of 2 September. As we prepare to negotiate our exit from the European Union, it would be wrong to set out our unilateral position in advance of these negotiations, or provide a running commentary on our discussions with individual companies. We will continue to work closely with Japanese investors and business to ensure we support an open and thriving economic partnership in the future.

Ilois: Resettlement

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse to date is of defending legal action against HM Government in all courts on the expulsion and right of resettlement for the population of the Chagos Islands.

Sir Alan Duncan: The costs paid by the Government for defending these legal actions to date are approximately £2,660,000.

Middle East: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the budget is for projects in (a) Israel and (b) the Palestinian territories within the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (i) in 2016-17 and (ii) as projected for 2017-18.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: ​(i) The total allocation for 2016-17 for both Israel and the OPTs is £7m. It is not separated into individual, distinct budgets as some of our projects and implementing partners deliver simultaneously in both (a) and (b).(ii) We do not yet have a projected budget for 2017-18 so cannot provide this information.

Middle East: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which projects in Israel and the Palestinian territories were supported from the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund in 2016-17; and what the level of funding and support was for each such project.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The following projects are funded from the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) during the current financial year (2016/17). These are projected spend figures and so are subject to change.- Small training team as part of the United States Security Coordinator to provide institutional development and professionalisation of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces. £2.23m.- Technical assistance to the Palestinian Ministry of Interior (MOI) to improve its capability to provide oversight and management of the security services. £1.8m.- Support to EU Coordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support. £0.067m.- Empowerment of young Israeli leaders to strengthen support for peace in their communities. £0.3m.- UK-Israel Informal Security Dialogue. £0.025m.- Legal Aid and Settlement Monitoring in the West Bank. £1.5m.

Attorney General

Human Trafficking

Diana Johnson: To ask the Attorney General, on how many occasions since the passage of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 have adult victims (a) applied for and (b) been granted the statutory defence for crimes they were compelled to commit while being enslaved or trafficked.

Robert Buckland: CPS do not have a central record of cases where the statutory defence has been applied, as it could arise in any category of offences.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will increase spending on overseas aid to compensate for the loss of value of that aid resulting from the fall in the value of the pound since 23 June 2016.

Rory Stewart: The government is committed to spending 0.7% of our national income on aid.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the potential benefits which investment in renewable energy generation methods can bring to developing countries; what research has been undertaken on how this might be achieved; what funding is proposed to be made available for this purpose; and if she will make a statement.

James Wharton: DFID’s energy work is aligned with the new Global Goals, particularly Goal 7, to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. DFID’s energy work is guided by international studies including, for example, by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme based at the World Bank. Recent research by the International Renewable Energy Agency indicates that investment in renewable energy increases GDP, improves welfare, creates more jobs and shifts patterns of trade.DFID provides significant funding to support renewable energy work, including through the UK Government’s International Climate Finance (ICF) allocation, as well as spend through multilateral funds, such as the Climate Investment Funds and the Green Climate Fund, which have significant renewable energy components.

Iraq: Armed Conflict

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate she has made of the number of civilians (a) who have fled and (b) who remain in Mosul.

Rory Stewart: According to the UN, over 7,000 people (as of 24 October) are currently displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of Mosul operations. Population movements are fluctuating as the front lines move, including people returning to their homes following improved security conditions in the immediate area. UN figures indicate up to 1.5 million civilians continue to live in Mosul. The UK is working closely with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the United Nations, and the international community to support an effective Iraqi–led humanitarian response in Mosul.

Syria: Refugees

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria; and what steps her Department is taking to support refugees within that camp.

Rory Stewart: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees assesses that there are an estimated 9,155 people living in the al-Hol refugee camp, including 5,650 Iraqi refugees; and shortages of food, water and health services. DFID funds World Food Programme and UNICEF’s 2016 Syria appeals through which we are supporting the provision of food, water, sanitation and hygiene services in the camp. DFID is also supporting an international non-governmental organisation to provide protection services in the camp.

Department for Education

Grammar Schools: Ethnic Groups

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of grammar school pupils are from each ethnic minority background.

Nick Gibb: The ethnicity of all students attending state-funded selective schools is listed in the following table: Source: School Census, January 2016[1]  Percentage of pupils classified as : (a) (b) (c) (d) State-funded secondary schools State-funded  selective schoolsWhite British 70.965.9Other white backgrounds 5.43.7White and black Caribbean 1.40.7White and black African 0.60.5White and Asian 1.12.0Any other mixed background 1.72.3Indian 2.98.2Pakistani 4.13.8Bangladeshi 1.71.0Any other Asian background 1.74.3Black Caribbean 1.30.4Black African 3.53.2Any other black background 0.70.3Chinese 0.41.6Any other ethnic group 1.61.2Unclassified (e) 1.21.1Notes: a. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. b. Pupils of compulsory school age and above were classified according to ethnic group. c. Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. d. The number of pupils by ethnic group expressed as a percentage of all pupils of compulsory school age and above. e. Information refused or not obtained.  [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016

Grammar Schools: Admissions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of grammar school entrants were previously educated in fee-paying preparatory schools in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) 2015-16.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 13 September 2016



The data requested is not collected by the Department or local authorities. The School Admissions Code[1] sets out that admission authorities must not “take into account any previous schools attended, unless it is a named feeder school” (para 1.9b) or “name fee-paying independent schools as feeder schools” (para 1.9l).[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-admissions-code--2

Schools: Admissions

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of total secondary school places in (a) areas with selective policies and (b) other areas are in schools rated outstanding.

Nick Gibb: Please see the table below showing the number and percentage of pupils attending outstanding schools, for areas with different selective policies. Data is given as at 31 March 2016.Pupils at mainstream state-funded secondary schoolsLatest Ofsted inspection data as at 31 March 2016 Total number of pupils in Ofsted rated schoolsNumber of pupils in schools rated outstandingPercentage of pupils in schools rated outstandingPupils attending secondary schools in fully selective areas1282,608100,30835Pupils attending secondary schools in other areas with selective schools2703,417205,09729Pupils attending secondary schools in areas with no selective schools2,077,665488,67324Source: Ofsted official statistics from 31 March 2016Notes: 1. Includes selective schools in the following areas which operate area wide arrangements for academic selection: Bexley, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Medway, Slough, Southend, Sutton, Torbay and Trafford. 2. Includes schools in twenty-six local authorities that have selective schools operating their own arrangements for academic selection.

Universities: EU Grants and Loans

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to guarantee to match any EU funding lost to universities and colleges.

Joseph Johnson: University researchers can continue to bid for competitive EU research funding while we remain a member of the EU. We will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. HM Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. Further details about Government safeguarding funding can be found in the statement Jo Johnson made on 13 August: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/safeguarding-funding-for-research-and-innovation

Grammar Schools

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of full-time equivalent officials based in her Department who are working on selective education policies; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: There are a total of 16 full-time equivalent staff working on the Schools that work for everyone consultation, including policy proposals on selective education.

Grammar Schools

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received from existing grammar schools wishing to expand in each of the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Records indicate that in the last 12 months eight selective academies have proposed an expansion of their school site via an application to their local Regional Schools Commissioner. We are unable to provide information for maintained grammar schools that wish to expand as this would be a matter for the relevant local authority. The Department does not have a role in these decisions.

Apprentices: Day Care

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is on offer to apprentices who need help covering childcare costs and if she will take steps to extend such support to match that available to other workers.

Robert Halfon: Apprentices are employed from day one. They acquire skills much valued in the labour market without having to contribute to the costs of their learning. The benefits system treats an apprentice in the same way as any other employee. As an employee aged 18 or over, an apprentice may be entitled to the usual in-work benefits, such as Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credits. If an apprentice has children, or is aged 16 or over and does paid work of at least 16 hours a week, they could qualify for tax credits, unless they are already earning £25,000 or more per year. Further information can be found on the tax credit section of the HMRC website. Universal Credit will make it easier and less worrying for claimants to try out a job or work more hours because their benefits will not automatically stop if they do so.

Apprentices: Standards

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how an apprenticeship standard will be created when there are fewer than the required ten employers to set up a trailblazer group in a specialised occupation; and what role the Institute for Apprenticeships' sectoral groups will play in that process from April 2017.

Robert Halfon: The rationale for requiring at least ten employers (including at least two with fewer than 50 employees) to commit to developing a standard is to ensure that the needs of all types of employers likely to utilise the standard are met. This is also addressed by requiring Trailblazers to consult on any draft standard more widely. Under very exceptional circumstances, for example, where the demand for an apprenticeship in a particular occupation is significant but confined to a smaller number of employers, we have approved the development of a standard. However, there are fewer than ten standards currently developed or in development that have fewer than ten employers on the Trailblazer Group. The Government also needs to take into account that, where demand is likely to be very low, there may be significant difficulties in securing appropriate training and assessment provision. In such circumstances, it would not be appropriate to approve the development of a standard. We are currently developing the detail of the structure and target operating model of the Institute for Apprenticeships, and will publish further information about this in due course.

Supply Teachers

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of supply teachers working in schools.

Nick Gibb: The data requested is not available. Supply teachers play a valuable role in helping schools to address their teacher deployment needs. It is for individual head teachers to determine when it is appropriate to use a supply teacher.

Institute of Apprenticeships

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which budget will supply funding for the estimated running costs of the Institute of Apprenticeships.

Robert Halfon: The Institute for Apprenticeships will be funded by the Government using public funds. It is expected that part of its budget will be provided by funding freed up from savings across the Department.

Apprentices: Construction

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the number of skilled construction apprenticeships required to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to build new homes.

Robert Halfon: It is for individual businesses to determine how they meet the skills challenges arising from the Government’s ambitious home building programme. Our reforms to apprenticeships will be a key tool to enable employers to meet their skills needs and the construction sector is currently developing a range of apprenticeship standards as part of the reform process.

Apprentices: Construction

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to introduce monitoring mechanisms to ensure that increased numbers of construction industry apprenticeships do not have an effect on the quality of apprenticeship training.

Robert Halfon: The training that is delivered for apprentices is monitored by Ofsted and the Skills Funding Agency, which set minimum standards for achievement rates. Both organisations have intervention regimes in place if training falls short of minimum requirements.

Pre-school Education: Apprentices

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the changes to the Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard introduced in August 2014.

Robert Halfon: The Early Years Educator apprenticeship standard at Level 3 remains in development and so has not yet been published for use by the sector. Therefore, it is not possible to make any assessment of its effect at this point. The Department continues to work closely with the Early Years Trailblazer to develop apprenticeship standards for key roles in the sector.

Apprentices: Taxation

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with devolved administrations on the operation of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Robert Halfon: Department for Education officials hold regular discussions with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to consider the implications of the apprenticeship levy on their own apprenticeship programmes and for cross-border employers. We want to ensure that apprenticeship funding works for employers and learners, wherever they are in the UK.

Teachers

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce teacher workload and reduce teachers' weekly working hours.

Nick Gibb: We are continuing our extensive work with the profession to help remove unnecessary workload for teachers. On 26 March 2016, we published reports from three independent review groups to address the biggest concerns that teachers have raised as burdensome - marking, planning and resources and data management. We accepted, and are acting on, all the recommendations for Government. We published, in March 2015, the Department for Education Protocol giving schools more time to prepare for significant changes to accountability, the curriculum and qualifications. We are reviewing its impact and are committed to ensuring sufficient time is given for schools to plan for significant changes. We have also conducted the first biennial Teacher Workload Survey and the report is due to be published later this year. Results from this survey, and those in future years, will help us track teacher workload and working hours so that further action can be taken if needed.Removing unnecessary workload is complex and change will take time. We are continuing to work with teachers to make sure they have the ongoing support they need, including by publishing case studies on our teaching blog, written by serving teachers, and showing what’s working well in their schools to reduce unnecessary workload.

Institute for Apprenticeships

Mr Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish an updated timetable on the development of the Institute for Apprenticeships.

Robert Halfon: The Institute for Apprenticeships will come into being in April 2017. We expect to publish further information about how the Institute will operate in due course.

Schools: Asbestos

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department allocated for asbestos removal for schools in each year from 2010 to 2016.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools applied to the Education Funding Agency for funding for asbestos removal between 2010 and 2016; and what the (a) name, (b) type and (c) local authority is of each such school.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget for schools renovation was in each year from 2010 to 2016.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools applied successfully to the Education Funding Agency for funding for asbestos removal between 2010 and 2016; and what the (a) name, (b) type and (c) local authority is of each such school.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the Education Funding Agency budget has been allocated to fund the removal of asbestos from schools in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (b) 2018, (d) 2019 and (e) 2020.

Nick Gibb: The Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not hold a breakdown of funding information, in the format requested, in relation to the removal of asbestos or renovation of school buildings. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the primary responsibility for managing asbestos lies with the person or persons responsible for the maintenance or repair of a building. For schools, this will be the local authority, school governors or academy trust. The table below summarises the capital budgets from 2011-12 to 2016-17 that were provided for school maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilding, including where appropriate the removal and/or safe containment of asbestos-containing materials. As these works are covered by the capital funding programmes listed below, the Department does not allocate a separate budget for this purpose; and there are no plans to do so in future years. The Department does not hold directly comparable allocation or expenditure data on prior years. (All values £m)2011-12 Budget2012-13 Budget2013-14 Budget2014-15 Budget2015-16 Budget2016-17 BudgetSchool Condition Allocations (funding provided to local authorities and voluntary-aided schools)1,054861749699690661Devolved Formula Capital (funding provided direct to schools)185162149138134130Funding for academies, multi-academy trusts, state-funded special schools and other specialist providers for state-funded pupils (including DFC).161376504562576617Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) (delivered by central government)00906039991,050Total1,4001,3991,4922,0022,3992,458

Teachers: Working Hours

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policy on teacher workload of the finding of the Education Policy Institute, published on 10 October 2016, that one in five teachers work a minimum of 60 hours a week; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We recognise that unnecessary workload remains a concern for teachers. The report from the Education Policy Institute uses data based on OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013, which was published in 2014. We took action on these findings at the time, through the ‘Workload Challenge’. Removing unnecessary workload for teachers remains a priority. On 26 March 2016, we published reports from three independent groups set up to address the most burdensome tasks for teachers - marking, planning and resources and data management. We have also conducted the first biennial Teacher Workload Survey which will help us track teacher workload so that further action can be taken if needed. The report from this robust survey is due to be published later this year. Removing unnecessary workload is complex and change will take time. We are continuing to work with teachers and their representatives to make sure unnecessary teacher workload is removed.

Teachers: Working Hours

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on asking teachers to opt out of the European Working Time directive in respect of their working hours.

Nick Gibb: The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, which applies to all maintained schools, makes clear in paragraph 53.4 that governing bodies and head teachers should ensure that they adhere to the working limits set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998. These are the regulations that implement the European Council Directive.

Archaeology: GCE A-level

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that archaeology continues to be offered as an A-level subject.

Nick Gibb: The AQA exam board has taken the decision no longer to develop specifications for A and AS level archaeology. Whilst we are disappointed with this outcome, AQA is an independent organisation and is therefore free to make its own decisions on which qualifications to offer. In 2015/16, there were 340 entries for A level archaeology, including 332 in state-funded schools and Further Education colleges. We published content for archaeology AS/A level in January 2016. The option for AQA or another exam board to develop a specification in future will remain open.

Apprentices

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2016 to Question 46532, what constitutes the extra support her Department will provide for 19 to 24 year old care leavers; and if she will provide extra support for ex-offenders.

Robert Halfon: Under the apprenticeship funding proposals published in August, we set out plans to pay employers and training providers £1,000 each when they train an apprentice aged 19-24 years old who was formerly in care, to help with the extra costs of providing support. We invited feedback on our proposals and the final funding policy for apprenticeships in England from May 2017 will be published shortly.

Apprentices: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 45104, when her Department plans to publish its final policy on apprenticeship funding reforms.

Robert Halfon: We will be publishing details of our final funding policy for apprenticeships in England from May 2017 shortly.

Apprentices: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with employers and providers of apprenticeships on the effect on take-up of the new funding arrangements proposed for apprenticeships for 16 to 18 year olds, published on 12 August 2016.

Robert Halfon: Department for Education officials have held regular discussions with employers, training providers and representative organisations since the publication of the funding proposals in August. We will be publishing details of our final funding policy for apprenticeships in England from May 2017 shortly.

Apprentices: Digital Technology

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress has been made on the development of the digital apprentice service.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent updates her Department has provided to employers and providers of apprenticeships on the progress of the digital apprenticeship service.

Robert Halfon: The digital apprenticeship service offers employers, training providers and individuals a range of tools to engage with apprenticeships online. We continue to develop the service and introduce new features. In August 2016, we gave providers a means to post vacancies on the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ site (https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship). In August 2016, we also released an easy tool to help employers to estimate their apprenticeship funding (https://estimate-my-apprenticeship-funding.sfa.bis.gov.uk). In October, a new service will go live to help employers find and compare training providers and apprenticeships. The employer digital account is being built in readiness for the apprenticeship levy in April 2017 and is currently being tested in a closed trial involving 100 employers and 50 providers. We use a range of channels to communicate with employers and providers. These include the National Apprenticeship Service and the Skills Funding Agency’s (SFA’s) network of account managers. There are weekly and monthly SFA updates that give employers and providers information about the full range of changes that the digital apprenticeship service will bring. Employers and providers can also keep in touch through the SFA digital blog, at: https://sfadigital.blog.gov.uk. We continue to share information with employers and providers through regular events across England.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department plans to take in response to the HM Inspectorate of Probation and HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on an Inspection of Through the Gate Resettlement Services for Short-Term Prisoners, published in October 2016; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: As with any major transition of public services we continually evaluate and review how those changes are operating, to support the achievement of our objectives. Public protection is our top priority and we will not hesitate to take the necessary action to make sure our vital Transforming Rehabilitation reforms are being delivered to reduce reoffending, cut crime and prevent future victims.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when she plans that a review of Through the Gate provision for offenders serving 12 months or less will begin; and when she plans to present the findings of that review.

Mr Sam Gyimah: As with any major transition of public services we continually evaluate and review how those changes are operating, to support the achievement of our objectives. Public protection is our top priority and we will not hesitate to take the necessary action to make sure our vital Transforming Rehabilitation reforms are being delivered to reduce reoffending, cut crime and prevent future victims.

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2016 to Question 41032, whether the families of the victims of the 61 prisoners convicted of murder released on Christmas Day 2015 were informed of the offender's temporary release.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Under the statutory victim contact service operated by the National Probation Service, victims of murder and other specified violent or sexual offences, where the offender has been sentenced to 12 months or more imprisonment, must be offered the chance to receive information about key developments in an offender’s sentence. This includes release on temporary licence (ROTL). Victims also have the statutory right to make representations about licence conditions on ROTL, such as an exclusion zone. Victims will be told when a series of ROTLs begin, but are not generally told each time a ROTL takes place.

Probation: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will devolve the provision of probation services to the National Assembly for Wales.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Clause 173(3) of the Wales Bill provides that probation is reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament. The Government has no intention to devolve the provision of probation services to the National Assembly for Wales.

Risley Prison: Crimes of Violence

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidents of violence against prison staff at HMP Risley have been recorded in each year from 2010 to the latest date for which figures are available.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Statistics for assaults on staff by prison are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2016

Ministry of Justice: Families

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what funding her Department has allocated to the Troubled Families programme for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

Dr Phillip Lee: There is no MoJ funding allocated to the Troubled Families programme for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19. MOJ works with DCLG to encourage Troubled Families teams to co-operate with offender management services to identify families for the programme. MoJ is also supporting the evaluation of the programme through data matching with administrative data sets such as the Police National Computer.

Prison Service: Staff

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many full-time equivalent prison officers there were in England and Wales; and what the ratio of prison officers to prisoners was in prisons in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Information on the number of prison officers employed and on the prison population are available on gov.uk. The published workforce information covers public sector prisons only and so is not directly comparable to the headline population information. Safe prisons are fundamental to the proper functioning of our justice system. Our dedicated prison officers, who support tens of thousands of prisoners every day, are vital to the safe running of our prisons. We have recruited 2,900 staff over the last 12 months and are taking significant action to make sure we have appropriate staffing levels.

Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

Local Government: Constituencies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, which local authorities have asked the Local Government Boundary Commission to consider changes to their boundaries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Gary Streeter: The Local Government Boundary Commission for England informs me that it has no plans to conduct any Principal Area Boundary Reviews, but their current programme includes 13 electoral reviews requested by:Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough CouncilLondon Borough of CroydonHarborough District CouncilTendring District CouncilWest Berkshire District CouncilBabergh District CouncilForest of Dean District CouncilSouth Gloucestershire CouncilCheshire West & Chester CouncilForest Heath District CouncilSt Edmundsbury Borough CouncilScarborough Borough CouncilCarlisle City Council

Prime Minister

Dame Lowell Goddard

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Prime Minister, on what date she first became aware that allegations of misconduct had been made against Dame Lowell Goddard in her capacity as Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse; what those allegations were; and who made her aware of those allegations.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the Hon member to the answer that I gave her on Wednesday 19 October, Official Report, column 801.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Tech City UK

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on her policy on Tech City UK.

Matt Hancock: We are working to assess the effect of the decision to leave the EU on all parts of the UK digital sector. Tech City UK has been successful in supporting the growth of thriving digital clusters across the UK and they are an important partner in ensuring that we continue to support the sector as we prepare to leave the EU. We are drawing on their insight into the needs of digital businesses and start-ups across the UK to help ensure we get the best deal for the future of the digital sector, and for the wider economy.

Youth Action Group

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the Youth Action Group last met; who attended that meeting; and what the current membership of that group is.

Mr Rob Wilson: The last Youth Action Group meeting was 25 Nov 2014. A Youth Action Group Workshop was held on 24 Feb 2015. Youth Action Group members and meeting participants were drawn from the government departments and national charities that develop policy and deliver programmes for disadvantaged young people. These included the following:Government: Cabinet Office, Department for Education, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Justice, Home Office, Department for Health and Ministry of Defence; andVCSE sector: The Prince’s Trust, Rathbone, The Foyer Federation, Catch22, Groundwork, Barnardo’s, Youth United, YoungMinds, Brook and Action for Children There are no current plans for this group to meet.

Business: Cybercrime

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support the Government makes available to businesses to (a) prevent and (b) recover from cyber-attacks.

Matt Hancock: The cyber security of the UK is a top priority for the Government which is why we are investing £1.9 billion to protect the nation in cyber space. The new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is helping to make the UK the safest place to live and do business online. The NCSC is the UK’s authority on cyber security and aims to reduce risks to the UK by working with businesses to improve their cyber security. The Government’s Cyber Essentials scheme shows businesses how to protect themselves against common cyber attacks and the ‘Ten Steps to Cyber Security” guidance shows organisations how to manage cyber risk and prevent attacks. The NCSC’s Cyber Security Incident Response scheme (CSIR) helps businesses deal with and recover from a cyber incident. A wide range of Government guidance, support and training is available via the NCSC and on www.gov.uk.

Communication: Competition

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will ask Ofcom to review communications markets definitions to reflect the role of advertising as a proxy for payment, particularly in regard to the standard SSNIP test.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will ask Ofcom to review communications markets definitions to reflect the role of data as an effective proxy for payment, particularly in regard to the standard SSNIP test.

Matt Hancock: As the independent communications regulator it is for Ofcom to determine how it should approach the issue of defining communications markets and how it applies the standard SSNIP test. Ofcom does already take into account developments such as the role of advertising and the role of data as proxy for payments in the course of carrying out its duties and will continue to do so in its assessments of market power and its analysis of competition.

Public Telephones: Rural Areas

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with BT on the removal of phoneboxes in rural areas; and what assessment has been made of the safety implications for people in areas with inadequate mobile phone coverage.

Matt Hancock: This is a matter for local authorities to take based on the value of retaining a phone box to the local community. We recognise the importance of public call boxes as a means of calling the emergency services. Ofcom requires that there is a period of consultation before a public call box is removed and that one of the factors to be considered by the relevant public body is the potential importance of the call box to contact the emergency services. Improving mobile connectivity across the UK, including in rural and hard to reach areas is a priority for the Government, and the December 2014 agreement with industry guarantees that each mobile network operator will provide voice and SMS text coverage to 90% of the UK's landmass by end-2017. Additionally, Telefonica has a licence obligation to deliver indoor 4G coverage to 98% of UK premises over the same period. Taken together these obligations will cut complete not spots by two thirds, resulting in 98% of the UK landmass with mobile coverage. The Code of Practice for the Public Emergency Call Service requires that a caller from a mobile phone is able to roam onto another mobile network to make an emergency call if they have no signal from their own provider. The improvements in mobile connectivity arising from the December 2014 agreement will support this.

Sports: Corruption

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29379, whether she has had discussions with sporting bodies in the last six months on reducing instances of corruption in sport.

Tracey Crouch: The Government hosted an international anti-corruption summit in May this year where tackling corruption in sport was a central feature. In the lead-up to, and at the Summit, the Government was, and continues to be, in discussion with a range of sporting bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency on this matter. The communique published following the Summit can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-corruption-summit-communique.

Data Protection

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government has taken to assess levels of awareness of the sensitivity of personal data and the importance of protecting such data among (a) consumers and (b) small businesses.

Matt Hancock: The Cyber Aware (formerly Cyber Streetwise) campaign aims to drive behaviour change amongst small businesses and individuals so they adopt simple secure online behaviours to help protect themselves from cyber criminals. Research carried out by the campaign found 41% of respondents were “concerned a lot” about their personal details being accessed without permission, whilst 48% were “concerned a little” and 11% were “not concerned.” 40% were “concerned a lot” about providing personal information via an email scam/phishing email and losing money, whilst 40% were “concerned a little” and 20% were “not concerned.” The Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey states that 69% of businesses say cyber security is a high priority for senior managers. 36% of businesses say the main reason they invest in cyber security is to protect customer data and 34% of businesses have rules specifically around personal data encryption. The Data Protection Act requires of businesses that “appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), as the independent regulator of the Data Protection Act (DPA), conducts an annual tracker survey which measures individuals awareness of rights under the DPA and gauges individuals’ perceptions of the way organisations handle their personal information. The latest version, which can be found at www.ico.org.uk, states that 97% of respondents were aware of the Data Protection Act.

Holidays: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of people aged between 18 and 25 who have taken a gap year over the last five years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The Department does not hold this information. Local Authorities hold data on NEETS (not in employment, education or training) but this data does not specify those on gap years.

S4C: Reviews

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who will be appointed to lead the S4C review.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the planned timetable is for the S4C review.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the terms of reference are for the S4C review.

Matt Hancock: The Government committed to a comprehensive review of S4C in 2017 covering remit, funding and governance. Further details including the Terms of Reference, timetable and process will be announced in due course.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of people aged between 18 and 25 who have undertaken voluntary work over the last (a) 12 months, (b) three years and (c) five years.

Mr Rob Wilson: DCMS does not hold this information. However, through the annual youth social action survey we do know that 42% of 10 to 20 year olds have participated in some form of social action in the past year. Link : https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/publications/1775/Youth-Social-Action-in-the-UK-2015.aspx

Voluntary Work

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of people who have undertaken full-time volunteering over the last (a) 12 months, (b) three years and (c) five years.

Mr Rob Wilson: DCMS does not hold this information. However, through the annual youth social action survey we do know that 42% of 10 to 20 year olds have participated in some form of social action in the past year. Full-time volunteering is one of many opportunities for young people to participate in meaningful social action.

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment: Disability

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that deafblind people and those with complex needs are able to secure meaningful employment in all professionals contexts.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government wants all disabled people and those with a long term health condition to fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations. Every individual should have the opportunity to work and share in the economic and health benefits that work brings, regardless of their health condition or disability.We will soon publish a Green Paper that will explore a range of options for long-term reform across different sectors, targeting the factors which contribute to the disability employment gap. We are engaging with a range of stakeholders, including organisations that represent the needs of deafblind people, through our preparatory work and detailed consultation plans that will follow.Everyone has an important part to play in developing and making the transformative changes required to support disabled people into work.

Motability

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to take steps to reverse the decline in the number of Motability users.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department does not restrict what claimants can spend their mobility allowance on. Whilst the Department has a role in determining who is eligible for the Motability scheme, it is claimants’ own choice whether or not to join. Therefore the Department does not have a target for the number of people using the scheme. The Department is responsible for the civilian disability benefits that passport to Motability, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). However, there are more people with a Motability vehicle now than there were when PIP was first introduced; the last major change to such benefits.

Employment: Disability

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will carry out a trial of the introduction of personal budgets for employment support for disabled people.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government recognises that people need support that is tailored to their needs. Personal Budgets are currently being trialled in Access to Work to offer customers greater flexibility to manage their Travel to Work or Support Worker costs. Initial findings from the trial are expected in early 2017.A Personal Budgets model was previously tested in the Right to Control Trailblazers, which ran from 2010 to 2013. Disabled people taking part in the trailblazers were offered greater choice and control over the support they received, as well as the option to take a direct payment and arrange their own support. The final evaluation report did not find any evidence that the Right to Control Trailblazers had a significant positive impact on customers, both overall and by subgroup.

Universal Credit

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many GP reports were provided as supporting evidence to a universal credit application by universal credit applicants in 2015-16.

Damian Hinds: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Pension Funds

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions the Government has held with the Pensions Regulator on section 75 employer debt in pension funds.

Richard Harrington: The regulation of work-based pension schemes, including the funding regime is a matter for the independent Pensions Regulator. The Secretary of State and I regularly meet with the Regulator about a variety of matters, including section 75.

Employment: Disability

Maria Caulfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the findings in the Report from the charity Sense, Realising Aspirations for All; and what steps he is taking to ensure that people who are deafblind and those with complex needs benefit from plans to halve the disability employment gap.

Penny Mordaunt: We welcome the Sense report, Realising Aspirations for All. We want all disabled people and those with a long term health condition to fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations.Everyone has an important part to play in making the transformative changes required for long-term reform on supporting disabled people into work and contributing to halving the disability employment gap.We will soon publish a Green Paper that will explore a range of options for long-term reform across different sectors enabling everyone to realise their aspirations, regardless of their health condition or disability. We are engaging with a range of stakeholders, including organisations that represent the needs of deafblind people, through our preparatory work and detailed consultation plans that will follow.

Department for Work and Pensions: Disability

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of the Extra Costs Commission, initiated by the disability charity Scope in July 2014.

Penny Mordaunt: We welcome the publication of the final report from the Extra Costs Commission. Businesses have their part to play by developing innovative products and services for disabled people. My officials will work with Scope (who are taking on the work of the Commission) as they tackle their next priorities of the insurance and energy markets.

Universal Credit: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with officials in the Northern Ireland Executive on the introduction of universal credit in Northern Ireland.

Damian Hinds: We are in regular discussions with Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities teams. This includes sharing lessons learnt to support the introduction of Universal Credit. Officials from Northern Ireland also attend programme governance meetings, including the Programme Board.

Employment: Disability

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to include proposals related to musculoskeletal conditions in the planned Green Paper on disability employment.

Penny Mordaunt: The Green Paper will explore a range of ways to improve the prospects and transform the lives of disabled people and people with musculoskeletal conditions and other long term health conditions so that their health needs and employment aspirations are met in the best possible way.

Children: Maintenance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2016 to Question 42169, what his Department's timetable is for the closure of remaining arrears-only Child Support Agency cases after the current three year programme for closing cases with an ongoing liability is completed.

Caroline Nokes: We are currently reviewing the timetable for the closure of Child Support Agency arrears only cases.

Child Support Agency: ICT

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's proposed deadline is for closing the 1993 and 2003 Child Support Agency IT system.

Caroline Nokes: The closure of existing child maintenance cases on the 1993 and 2003 schemes is proceeding as planned. The timetable for the closure of the underlying 1993 and 2003 child support IT systems is currently under consideration.

Children: Maintenance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 40130, how Child Support Agency (CSA) (a) client and (b) former client activity requests collection of any CSA arrears held by the Child Maintenance Service.

Caroline Nokes: We have interpreted this question to mean “how Child Support Agency (CSA) (a) clients and (b) former clients actively request collection of any CSA arrears held by the Child Maintenance Service.” If a client or former client of the Child Support Agency (CSA) would like their arrears collected they should call the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). When debt is moved from the Child Support Agency to the Child Maintenance Service system, clients receive a letter that includes contact details for the CMS.

Children: Maintenance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that arrears-only Child Support Agency  cases outside the current pro-active case-closure programme will be subject to the arrears cleansing process before being transferred to the Child Maintenance Service for collection.

Caroline Nokes: The arrears cleansing process is a feature of the case closure programme, and cases selected for closure will be subject to arrears cleanse before the debt is moved to the Child Maintenance Service system. Cases are not subject to the arrears cleanse process unless they are selected for closure.

Employment and Support Allowance: Chronic Illnesses

Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which chronic illnesses and severe conditions exempt employment and support allowance claimants from regular medical reassessments.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2016 to Question UIN 48978.

Social Security Benefits: Advisory Services

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the time advisors from the Citizens Advice Bureau are placed on hold while making enquiries on behalf of clients for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments claims.

Damian Hinds: The information is not available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Industrial Health and Safety

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that all health and safety regulations will be (a) protected in the long-term and (b) retained in legislation after the UK leaves the EU.

Penny Mordaunt: As a Government, we have been clear that we will do nothing to undermine workers’ rights. The United Kingdom has one of the best records on occupational safety and health in Europe and the wider world and the Government intends to keep it that way. Health and safety regulations are secondary legislation under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Government has no plans to change this.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of staff at the Defence Infrastructure Organisation have been employed to deal with applications for adapted housing in each year since 2000.

Mark Lancaster: This information is not held.

Defence Estates and Defence Infrastructure Organisation: Staff

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff have been employed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation or Defence Estates Agency in each year since 2000.

Mark Lancaster: The number of staff employed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation or Defence Estates as of April in each year since 2005 is detailed in the table below.Information prior to 2005 is not held centrally.In 2013 the Military Guard Service transferred to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.HeadcountFull Time Equivalent (FTE)Defence Estates20052,8652,825 20062,9402,900 20072,9302,860 20082,7652,695 20092,7502,675 20102,9102,830Defence Infrastructure Organisation20113,2703,185 20122,6602,605 20135,3605,290 20144,5904,520 20154,2354,165 20164,2804,200Source: Defence Statistics (Civilian) All Headcount and FTE totals have been individually rounded to the nearest 5 personnel.

Armed Forces: Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications his Department has received for modifications and adapted housing in each year from 2000 to date; and whether data on such applications is available before 2000 and to what date.

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent from the public purse on modifications and adapted housing in each year from 2000 to date; and whether data on such spend is available before 2000 and to what date.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 September 2016 to Questions 45414 and 45461.



Armed Forces: Housing
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Navy: Procurement

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value was of his Department's naval maintenance contracts by shipyards in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales in the last 10 years.

Harriett Baldwin: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence: Hilary Meredith Solicitors

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions his Department has had with Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd.

Mike Penning: Ministry of Defence officials have met Ms Meredith and other solicitors from her company from time to time to discuss a variety of legal and other issues of mutual concern, most recently on 13 October 2016.

HMS Victory

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress has been made on the matter of reclamation and archaeological investigation of HMS Victory 1744.

Mike Penning: Recent progress on the wreck of HMS Victory 1744 has included a survey of the site by HMS Echo. When the results of this survey have been analysed they will be discussed by the members of the Victory 1744 Advisory Group as part of the ongoing work to protect this historically important site.

Trident Submarines: Iron and Steel

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48291, what process his Department followed to determine whether a bid to provide specialist steel for the Successor submarine pressure hulls was viable.

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48291, what bids his Department received for the provision of specialist steel required for the pressure hulls for the Successor submarine programme.

Harriett Baldwin: The management of the steel procurement process for the Successor programme is the responsibility of the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems. The Ministry of Defence conducted a technical assessment during the BAE Systems tendering process to ensure bids met specifications.There were four bids received in total. I am withholding details of the bidding firms as the disclosure of this information would be prejudicial to commercial interests. Other stages of construction will include grades of steel manufactured by British suppliers and we encourage them to take the opportunity to bid.85% of BAE Systems supply chain for the new submarines is based in the UK.

Russia: Warships

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how his Department plans to respond to the movement of Russian naval ships through the English channel.

Mike Penning: The current deployment of Russian ships in the waters around the UK is being carefully tracked. All NATO Allies have a collective responsibility to monitor the path and activity of non-NATO ships and aircraft passing through NATO areas of responsibility. The UK fully upholds its commitments in this regard and will act accordingly. We expect Russian activity to occur in international waters and airspace, and in accordance with international rules.

Air Space

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the regularity of incursions into UK airspace by foreign jets; and if he will make a statement.

Mike Penning: The airspace around and approaching the UK is permanently monitored on a 24 hour basis. There have been no unauthorised incursions by any foreign military aircraft into sovereign air space around the UK, which projects 12 miles off shore or to mutually agreed mid-points between adjacent nations over narrow straits such as the Straits of Dover. The UK civil air traffic region and the NATO Air Policing Area, which the UK has responsibility for monitoring, include large areas of international airspace through which foreign military traffic may legally transit.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Non-domestic Rates: Broadband

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will amend his policy on proposed increases to business rates in order to help augment the speed of broadband roll-out.

Mr Marcus Jones: Business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We have proposed a £3.4 billion transitional relief scheme to ensure that no ratepayer is unfairly penalised by the 2017 revaluation.

Disabled Facilities Grants: Bradford

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much Disabled Facilities Grant was given to Bradford Council in each of the last three years.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Disabled Facilities Grant funding allocated to Bradford Council in each of the last 3 years is provided in the table below:2014-15£1,634,7032015-16£1,929,2352016-17£3,519,468Total£7,083,406

Non-domestic Rates

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much income was raised from business rates (a) in total and (b) was retained by the local authority in each English local authority area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Prior to 2013-14, Business Rates collected by local authorities were paid into a national pool and then re-distributed to local authorities as part of the Local Government Finance settlement.In 2013-14, the Business Rates Retention scheme was introduced. Under this scheme Local Authorities retain 50% of Business Rates collected with the remaining 50% passed to Central Government known as the central share.The total Business Rates raised and the amounts retained by local authorities from 2013-14 onwards can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councilsOnly forecast data are available for both 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Non-domestic Rates: Appeals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse was of refunds to businesses which successfully appealed the amount they were asked to pay in business rates in (a) each English local authority area and (b) in total by region of England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Refunds to businesses as a result of successful appeals are made by the relevant billing authority. The Department does not hold data on the total cost of refunds resulting from appeals.

Solar Power: Non-domestic Rates

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK solar power market of the proposed 2017 business rate rise for organisations investing in roof top solar power for their own consumption.

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the planned business rate increase for organisations that seek to own or supply their energy with roof top solar panels in the light of carbon emissions targets agreed at the Paris Climate Change Conference.

Mr Marcus Jones: Business rates policy in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Government. In England, business rates are based on valuations from the Valuation Office Agency and we do not intervene in their independent assessments. We have proposed a £3.4 billion transitional relief scheme for England to ensure that no ratepayer is unfairly penalised by the 2017 revaluation.

Families: Disadvantaged

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to respond to the findings of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research evaluation study, No evidence Troubled Families Programme has any significant impact on key objectives, published on 17 October 2016.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

EU Cohesion Fund

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities can access cross-border, transnational and inter-regional co-operation funds from EU cohesion funding after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Percy: The Chancellor’s statement of 3 October 2016 set out guarantees for local authorities’ funding for cross-border, transnational and inter-regional cooperation projects subject to certain conditions. The Treasury will guarantee funding for those projects which are signed after the Autumn Statement, but before the UK leaves the EU, provided that they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. This guarantee will apply even where those projects continue after the UK has left the EU. The Chancellor’s statement has provided certainty for local authorities and other UK participants in European Territorial Cooperation programmes.Leaving the EU means that we can decide how to deliver the policy priorities currently delivered by EU funding programmes. We will consult closely with stakeholders, including local authorities, to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any on-going funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate investor certainty.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will continue to be required to comply with EU law relating to (a) energy efficiency, (b) waste collection and disposal, (c) trading standards and (d) procurement after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Local authorities are required to comply with EU law and the UK remains a full a member of the European Union at this present time. The Prime Minister has said that government will not give a running commentary on its preparation to leave the European Union.

Local Government Services

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current levels of local authority funding to meet the demands for local authority services.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government has provided a long-term funding settlement, including a £3.5 billion social care package, over the lifetime of this parliament. Councils have continued to balance their budgets while reducing council tax in real terms and maintaining public satisfaction with services.

Communities and Local Government: Families

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department has allocated to the Troubled Families programme for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

Mr Marcus Jones: At the Spending Review 2015 £720 million was allocated to fund the remaining four years of the programme. The funding allocated to the Troubled Families Programme is currently £230 million in 16/17, £180 million in 17/18, and £180 million in 18/19. The Department for Communities and Local Government works closely with other government departments which have an interest, including the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health.

Families: Disadvantaged

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the recent National Evaluation of the Troubled Families Programme report.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Homelessness

Lucy Frazer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to help rough sleepers and homeless people.

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to help rough sleepers and homeless people.

Mr Marcus Jones: One person without a home is one too many. That is why we launched a new £40 million Homelessness Prevention programme to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.This will enable authorities to support vulnerable people, preventing them from becoming homeless, and ensuring those who do have somewhere safe to stay.

HM Treasury

Concentrix: Correspondence

Diana Johnson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 44746, how many of those letters were not responded to within 30 days; and what further action was taken against non-respondents from November 2014 to the end of August 2016.

Jane Ellison: Concentrix has a fixed contract with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the terms of which are available here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85d1b730-5e4e-4be8-ae4c-3ac1f359afc7. HMRC only makes additional payments for amendment to claims which are correct. HMRC is operating within its funding allocation for this contract but has temporarily redeployed existing staff to resolve outstanding cases. HMRC does not hold specific information relating to the cost to issue letters referenced in the Answer to Question 44746 as these costs were borne by Concentrix. Claimants are given 30 days to provide the information requested in the letter. If after 30 days there has been no contact, tax credits payments are either suspended or reduced. As stated in the oral contribution of 14 September 2016, Official Report, column 914, once all of the information is received and the facts of the case have been established, payments should be made within 4 working days. And, to date, HMRC are issuing payments to achieve this timeframe. HMRC is currently focused on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing analysis, which will be made available in due course.

Concentrix: Correspondence

Diana Johnson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 44746, how many other letters to tax credit claimants were sent out in addition to those stated in that answer, how much, in total, it cost to issue those letters and whether the cost of issuing those letters was borne by (a) Concentrix or (b) HM Revenue and Customs.

Diana Johnson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury of 14 September 2016, Official Report, column 914, how many people who had decisions made by Concentrix in relation to their tax credits overturned have received their payments within four working days.

Diana Johnson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2016 to Question 44815, what the total cost was of processing (a) mandatory reconsiderations and (b) appeals; and whether that cost was borne by (i) Concentrix or (ii) HM Revenue and Customs.

Diana Johnson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2016 to Question 45416, on Concentrix, (a) what the total cost was of the appeal cases listed in table 2 and (b) whether that cost was borne by (i) Concentrix or (ii) HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Ellison: Concentrix has a fixed contract with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the terms of which are available here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/85d1b730-5e4e-4be8-ae4c-3ac1f359afc7. HMRC only makes additional payments for amendment to claims which are correct. HMRC is operating within its funding allocation for this contract but has temporarily redeployed existing staff to resolve outstanding cases. HMRC does not hold specific information relating to the cost to issue letters referenced in the Answer to Question 44746 as these costs were borne by Concentrix. Claimants are given 30 days to provide the information requested in the letter. If after 30 days there has been no contact, tax credits payments are either suspended or reduced. As stated in the oral contribution of 14 September 2016, Official Report, column 914, once all of the information is received and the facts of the case have been established, payments should be made within 4 working days. And, to date, HMRC are issuing payments to achieve this timeframe. HMRC is currently focused on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing analysis, which will be made available in due course.

Concentrix: Kingston upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2016 to Question 46636, on Concentrix, if he will provide that same information for (a) Kingston upon Hull North constituency and (b) Hull City Council.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold data on the number of tax credit cases awaiting consideration by Concentrix broken down specifically by constituency areas. HMRC is currently focused on resolving the outstanding cases but will be preparing analysis, which will be made available in due course.

New Businesses: Loans

Grant Shapps: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to substitute funding to start-up loan schemes previously funded completely or partly by EU programmes after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr David Gauke: As set out by the Chancellor, the Treasury will guarantee funding for structural and investment fund projects and funding secured through direct bids to the European Commission, even after the UK leaves the EU. This is where the funding provides strong value for money and is in line with domestic strategic priorities. These include projects signed after Autumn Statement and before we leave the EU. Alongside this funding, the Start-Up loan programme, funded by the UK government and overseen by the British Business Bank (BBB), has supported over 39,500 entrepreneurs to set up their own business and facilitated loans of over £230m.

New Businesses: Tax Allowances

Grant Shapps: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing Government tax incentives in the tech start-up sector in order to reduce the number of companies potentially unable to attract private investment after tax reliefs expire.

Jane Ellison: The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trusts scheme provide tax reliefs to encourage individuals to invest in early stage, higher risk companies that would otherwise struggle to access finance. The government has no plans to withdraw these tax reliefs.

New Businesses: Investment

Grant Shapps: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of lowering the qualification for investors in the start-up sector in order to grant lower net worth individuals more freedom to invest.

Jane Ellison: The Government agrees that it is important for consumers to have access to a diverse range of investment choices and for start-ups and SMEs to have access to a wide range of funding sources. To this end, the Government has implemented a proportionate regime for peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding that gives retail investors the opportunity to invest in start-ups and SMEs. Retail investors can also benefit from other initiatives, including Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferrable Securities, where the fund can allocate up to 10% of assets to venture capital. The Government has no plans to review the definition of sophisticated investors as set out in the Financial Promotions Order 2005.

Venture Capital: Money Laundering

Grant Shapps: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the dangers of money laundering being undertaken by means of anonymous online crowdfunding investment platforms.

Simon Kirby: All crowdfunding platforms fall within the FCA’s definition of regulated investments and are therefore subject to FCA rules. These rules require companies to maintain effective systems and controls to address the risk that they might be exploited by criminals. Where a firm’s systems and controls are not adequate, the FCA can and does take enforcement action.

Taxation: Electronic Cigarettes

Grant Shapps: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing taxes on e-cigarettes on health grounds.

Jane Ellison: E-cigarettes are not liable for excise duty as they do not include tobacco. However, they are still liable for VAT.

Tourism: VAT

Drew Hendry: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the annual revenue raised from VAT on tourism and related services was; and what proportion of this revenue was generated in Scotland for each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: The government does not hold data on the annual revenue raised from VAT on tourism and related services in the UK and in Scotland. This is because tourism does not follow the standard classification of sectors. For example, revenue raised from travel and hotel accommodation will be a mixture of tourism and non-tourism activity.

Tourism: VAT

Drew Hendry: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to review the levels of VAT paid by tourism and hospitality businesses.

Jane Ellison: The Government keeps all taxes under review, although there are no current plans to review the levels of VAT paid by tourism and hospitality businesses.

VAT

Drew Hendry: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to review the VAT threshold.

Jane Ellison: The Government keeps all tax rates and thresholds under review.

Bank Services: Fraud

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what safeguards the Government plans to put in place to protect customers from fraud and cyber security risks if they use new products and services in an open banking environment.

Simon Kirby: Improving the resilience of the finance sector to risks such as cyber security is a priority for the Government. HM Treasury works closely with the financial regulators to drive this improvement; it is their responsibility to supervise banks’ operations. The Financial Conduct Authority has a specific objective on consumer protection. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published the final report of its market investigation into retail banking on 9 August 2016. As part of this the CMA requires the nine largest UK banks to develop and adopt an open banking standard for application programming interfaces (APIs) to allow access to customer account information, as set out in the revised Payment Services Directive (PSDII) which will come into force in January 2018. These nine banks are required to deliver open data APIs by Q1 2017, and deliver the full open API banking standard by early 2018. Data protection and cyber security are key considerations in PSDII, and the Government will be consulting on the transposition of this directive shortly.

BBC: Scotland

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to increase funding for BBC ALBA.

Mr David Gauke: The Government recognises MG Alba's valuable contribution to Gaelic language broadcasting. Although MG ALBA are funded by the Scottish Government, the previous government provided them with two one-off grants that ended in March 2016, for additional support for minority language services. MG ALBA continues to receive public funding from the Scottish Executive. There are no plans for the UK Government to provide further direct funding.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the number of people who miss the 31 January 2017 deadline for tax returns is significantly less than for previous years.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs has a number of initiatives leading up to the filing deadline to support and encourage people to file on time. These include improvements to the accessibility of online services, a targeted media campaign running from the end of December, reminder emails and text messages in January to those who have yet to file and use of social media.

Roads: Freight

Robert Flello: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has not been given access to HM Revenue and Customs' freight transport data system.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs has no record of a request by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Association and would be happy to give such a request full consideration.

Income Tax: Domicil

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much income tax was paid by UK resident non-domiciled people in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what proportion of the total income tax receipt those amounts were.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have indicated that they have non-domiciled status on their tax returns in each of the last five years for which such data is available.

Jane Ellison: The information requested is set out below :Tax YearNumber of Non-Domiciled IndividualsNumber of UK Resident Non-Domiciled IndividualsIncome Tax Paid by UK Resident Non-Domiciled Individuals (£bn)Proportion of Total UK Income Tax (%) paid by UK Resident Non-Domiciled Individuals2010/11115,10080,9006.094%2011/12113,20080,2006.204%2012/13116,60081,7006.294%2013/14118,20083,0006.564%2014/15118,10083,4006.444%

Loans: Greece

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the UK's policy is on requiring that Greece obtain debt relief before supporting future IMF lending to that country.

Mr David Gauke: Greece’s euro area support programme is a matter for Greece and the euro area. But it is strongly in our interest to see a stable euro area and a sustainable solution to these issues. For the IMF to grant a new programme to Greece, a proposal must be approved by the IMF Board. For a proposal to be put to the IMF Board, conditions under the Exceptional Access policy must be met. As part of these conditions, debt must be considered sustainable with high probability under the IMF programme.

Concentrix

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date HM Revenue and Customs began to share RTI PAYE earnings data with Concentrix for use in its review of working tax credit claims.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs began sharing Real Time Information data with Concentrix in November 2014.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade with EU

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on leaving the EU Customs Union.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether it is his policy to apply to join the EEA (a) before or (b) after the UK leaves the EU.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether it is his policy to apply to join the EFTA (a) before or (b) after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: We have been clear that we will pursue a solution that works for the unique circumstances of the UK. Ministers are considering the UK’s future customs and trading relations with the EU and work continues to analyse the options to ensure we have the best possible outcome for the UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Meetings

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what meetings he has had with representatives of major sectors of the UK economy since he assumed office.

Mr David Jones: Government officials are carrying out a programme of sectoral and regulatory analysis, which will identify the key factors for British businesses and the labour force that will affect our negotiations with the EU. They are looking in detail at over 50 sectors and cross-cutting regulatory issues. Details of Ministerial meetings will be published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Combined Authorities: EU Grants and Loans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether funding currently received by mayoral combined authorities from EU structural funds will continue after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring regions and organisations have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the European Union. At the same time, we are keen to use the opportunities that departure presents to set our own priorities. The Chancellor has announced that the Treasury will guarantee structural fund bids which are signed before the UK leaves the EU. This includes funding for projects agreed after the Autumn Statement, if they represent good value for money, and if they are in line with the government’s strategic priorities, even if these projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Over the coming months, the government will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes in the round, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK‘s national interest, while ensuring appropriate certainty.

Higher Education

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what representations he has received from universities on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on those institutions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK leaving the EU does not have a deleterious effect on the operation of UK universities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: ​​The Department for Exiting the EU has engaged with a number of higher education institutions and groups including Universities UK and Royal Academies. Over the next few months the department will continue to engage with key stakeholders in business and civil society, including universities, through a series of roundtables, bi-laterals and visits across the UK.We have been clear that we want to create an environment in which the UK as a whole can continue to be a world leader in research, science and the tertiary education sector more broadly. The government has already announced that UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 projects and the Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. Equally, EU students applying for a place at an English university or further education institution in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will continue to be eligible for student loans and grants – and will be for the duration of their course.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Japan

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2016 to Question 47489, whether, during the course of negotiations for the UK to leave the EU, his Department plans to hold discussions with its Japanese counterparts.

Mr David Jones: Ministers and officials from across the Government are working closely with the Government of Japan and Japanese companies operating in the UK to reinforce the importance of a close relationship between our countries. They will continue to do so, including through our embassy in Tokyo.The Department for Exiting the EU will continue to support this work.

Devolution: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether powers not specifically reserved under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 will automatically revert to the competence of the Scottish Parliament after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Jones: The implications of the Repeal Bill for devolved statute will require consultation and discussion with all the Devolved Administrations. The Prime Minister made the the offer today of a new official forum, to be chaired by Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, to the leaders of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments to allow them to help shape the UK's EU exit strategy.

UK Withdrawal from EU: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2016 to Question 48004, if he will provide details of his discussions with the (a) First Minister of Scotland on developing a UK approach for the UK leaving the EU and (b) Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's place in Europe on the work of his Department.

Mr David Jones: We will not comment on the content of private Ministerial discussions. Details of Ministerial meetings will be published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.The Prime Minister set out her commitment to fully engage with the devolved administrations as the government delivers on the verdict of the UK people in their vote to leave the EU.The Prime Minister said today at the Joint Ministerial Committee, that the government is ready to listen to proposals put forward by political leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as she renegotiates the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Legal Profession

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many legally trained staff are contracted to his Department for the purposes of their legal expertise; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union has a dedicated legal team that is provided by the Government Legal Department. That team includes 28 qualified lawyers.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Working Hours

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many civil servants working in his Department have opted out of the EU Working Time Directive.

Mr Robin Walker: As a new department we are currently in the process of migrating a large number of civil servants onto our HR systems from across government. As a result we do not hold this information.

Department for International Trade

Foreign Investment in UK: Japan

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2016 to Question 47347, whether during those discussions concerns were raised by Japanese investors and the Japanese ambassador about the UK's decision to leave the EU; and whether any conditions were placed on continued Japanese investment in the UK.

Greg Hands: A range of topics have been discussed with the Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom and Japanese investors, notably the Japanese memorandum and the opportunities presented by the United Kingdom exiting the European Union to strengthen its role as a global leader for free trade, including its trade links with Japan.

Exports: Government Assistance

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what Government assistance has been offered to businesses to take advantage of the lower pound in exporting products.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade offers a wide range of business support. The Department provides International Trade Advisors across the UK, who give advice to companies wishing to start exporting or grow their exports. We also provide access to the wealth of information held by our overseas post network in over 100 locations in over 50 countries. Furthermore, the Department also offers a range of Digital Services including the Exporting is GREAT website, which I would encourage all British Businesses to visit.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Paint: Recycling

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to work with the waste and coatings industries on making better use of leftover paint.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to increase the number of household waste recycling centres that accept liquid paint.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to include remanufactured paint as a material in Green Public Procurement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has been engaging constructively with the British Coatings Federation on making better use of leftover paint, including identifying potential regulatory barriers to its recycling and remanufacture and how these might be overcome. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) encourages consumers to recycle and re-use household paint by providing information through the Recycle Now website. This includes a postcode locator which helps pinpoint local Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) that accept leftover paint. The Government’s Innovation in Waste Prevention Fund has also supported a pilot paint re-use project in Cheshire involving local charities, working with HWRCs and housing associations to increase paint donation and minimise disposal. WRAP will publish a summary of the project, lessons learned and a video case study later in the year. In terms of public procurement, it is for each Government department to consider sustainability and put this into practice in its own procurement activity. Government Buying Standards do not currently include remanufactured paint. WRAP has recently published a guide on ‘How to Include Re-use in Local Authority HWRC Procurement’.

Environment Protection: EU Law

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2016 to Question 47784, if she will make it her policy that changes to environmental protections deriving from EU legislation should be made through primary legislation.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is considering future arrangements for existing EU legislation. We look forward to working with the industry, rural communities and the wider public to shape our plans for a future outside the EU. As I said in my previous answer, any future changes in the law will be subject to full scrutiny and proper Parliamentary debate.

Beverage Containers: Waste Disposal

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the amount of landfill produced annually by non-recyclable coffee cups each year; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Neither Defra nor the Environment Agency collect or hold data regarding the amount of non-recyclable coffee cups going into landfill. The data on waste tonnages accepted in disposal and recovery facilities is based on standard European Waste Classification (EWC) codes. These codes do not map directly to non-recyclable coffee cups.

Tree Planting

Edward Argar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the likely rate of tree-planting in England in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Forestry Commission has reported, as an Official Statistic, that 522 hectares of woodland, equivalent to 798,000 trees, was planted through Government-funded incentives to the end of June 2016. All agreements for schemes with planting planned for 2017 are currently being processed and have yet to be signed, meaning that no forecast of tree numbers can yet be provided. However, the Forestry Commission estimates that the likely rate of new woodland planting will increase in the remainder of 2016 and 2017.

Department of Health

Genetically Modified Organisms: Labelling

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department takes to ensure that the law on labelling foods that contain genetically modified products is complied with.

Nicola Blackwood: Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed requires that food derived from genetically modified (GM) sources must be labelled, regardless of the presence of detectable GM material in the final product or of the quantity of intentionally used GM ingredients. Businesses must take all reasonable precautions and exercise due diligence to ensure that the food they sell meets the requirements of the GM food and feed Regulation. The Food Standards Agency provides guidance on the Regulation on its website and local authorities are responsible for ensuring compliance with the labelling requirements set out in this Regulation.

Infant Mortality

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions Ministers of his Department have had with Ministers of the Department for Justice on the investigation of stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

Mr Philip Dunne: No recent meetings have been held with colleagues at the Ministry of Justice to discuss this subject.By law coroners can only investigate deaths of a baby when they have lived independently of their mother. Coroners have no role in investigating stillbirths, and there are no plans to change this. If there is doubt as to whether a baby was stillborn or lived independently of their mother the loss should be reported to the coroner to consider whether an investigation should be carried out.We are providing £500,000 of funding, via the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership, for the development of a new system - the Standardised Perinatal Mortality Review Tool – which once complete will be used across the National Health Service to enable maternity services to review and learn from every stillbirth and neonatal death. We have also asked the new independent Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch, established in April 2016, to consider a particular focus on maternity services in its first year.On 17 October my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced a comprehensive package of measures designed dramatically to improve the safety of maternity care in the NHS, with a particular focus on learning and supporting the NHS to become the world’s largest learning organisation. The announcement introduced the commitment to consult on a new voluntary alternative to litigation for families affected by severe birth injury (Rapid Resolution and Redress (RRR)).RRR will provide an independent and thorough investigation of all instances of severe avoidable birth injury (around 500 cases per year), and for eligible cases the option to join an alternative system of compensation that offers support and regular payments without the need to bring a claim through the courts. We will be consulting to ensure the policy design best meets the needs of families.

Influenza: Vaccination

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that health providers commissioned to give influenza vaccinations to patients at home are also commissioned to provide such vaccinations for eligible carers.

Nicola Blackwood: Under the national enhanced service specification, general practitioners (GPs) are contracted to offer the influenza vaccination to those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. It is the responsibility of the GPs to ensure access to influenza immunisation services is as accessible, convenient and efficient as possible; in some cases GPs may include a service to immunise patients at home.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of the tendering process for the private company that will run the trust which provides support for people affected by contaminated blood; and how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are involved in that tendering process.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the tendering process is for the private company that will run the trust which provides support for people affected by contaminated blood; which companies have expressed an interest in that tender; what the size of the initial bids made by those companies has been; and what the timetable is for that tendering process.

Nicola Blackwood: Departmental resource in the tendering process represents input across policy, legal and procurement which divisions cannot be easily quantified. The Department has not made an estimate of the cost to the private companies that will take part in the tendering process for providing support to people affected by National Health Service supplied infected blood. It will be for each company to make a judgement on the resources that they wish to devote to this process. The Department is using the ‘Open Procedure’ as set out by the Public Contract regulations 2015 at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/regulation/27/made We intend to issue the invitation to tender on 1 November 2016 and the deadline for bids will be 9 December 2016. The evaluation of tenders is likely to run into January 2017. The new administrator will become operational in the financial year 2017/18 and the current bodies will operate until then. Further information on the tendering process is already in the public domain, including information from pre-market engagement, and can be found at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/580180d0-5cf3-4eb1-b7c7-07241fc95e84

Homeopathy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which clinical commissioning groups fund homeopathy treatments; and if he will provide a list of those groups.

Nicola Blackwood: Information on which clinical commissioning groups fund homeopathy treatment is not held centrally.

Patients: Transport

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the value is of invoices sent to the High Weald Havens Clinical Commissioning Group from each trust which has incurred private ambulance costs arising from performance problems with Patient Transport Services provided by Coperforma and arms length driver operatives; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: The requested information is not held centrally.

Ankylosing Spondylitis

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients with ankylosing spondylitis receive a prompt diagnosis and receive high-quality healthcare.

David Mowat: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a long-term condition in which the spine and other areas of the body become inflamed. Treatment can involve painkillers, biologic drugs and exercise, if appropriate. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a clinical knowledge summary on AS, and the British Society of Rheumatology has also published advice on this condition.To bring greater consistency and clarity in this area, NICE is currently developing a best practice guideline concerning diagnosis and management of spondyloarthritis, which is an umbrella term for a set of inflammatory diseases including ankylosing spondylitis. The guideline is open to consultation until 25 October 2016 and the expected publication date is March 2017.

NHS Internal Market

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the costs and benefits of the NHS internal market; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: As with many healthcare systems worldwide, the National Health Service has employed a purchaser-provider split for a number of years, and under successive governments in order to ensure that resources are used to the maximum benefit of patients. A number of evaluations of aspects of this approach have been conducted, including work undertaken by organisations such as the Nuffield Trust and the King’s Fund. The Government remains committed to supporting both commissioners and providers to secure value by controlling costs and improving quality of care.

NHS England: Accountability

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the 10th Report of the Public Accounts Committee, Session 2016-17, HC397, what progress has been made on the recommendation that NHS England must improve the transparency of its decision-making with respect to specialised services by publishing a document by September 2016 setting out the role of its advisory committees and decision making bodies, the decisions they make, how these decisions will be documented, and when and to whom they will be made available.

David Mowat: The Government response to the Public Accounts Committee report on NHS England’s Commissioning of Specialised Services is due for publication shortly. In May 2016 NHS England announced a new high-level Strategic Framework for specialised services. In line with the Five Year Forward View, this framework sets out an ambition for specialised services as part of better integrated care for patients. It emphasises a strong focus on place-based care, supported by clear national standards and underpinned by value-for-money. Since publication of the framework, NHS England has been working with stakeholders to test, develop and support implementation. The full paper can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/item5-26-05-16.pdf To improve clarity of its decision-making processes, NHS England has published on its website the details of the key roles and functions of the advisory committees and decision-making bodies for specialised services. Information on these can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/

Hospices: Staff

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of how many people are employed in the hospice care sector.

David Mowat: Data on the number of people employed in the hospice care sector is not collected centrally.

Hospices

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of levels of hospice care provision across the UK.

David Mowat: Levels of National Health Service funded hospice care provision are determined locally by clinical commissioning groups and they are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population. Commissioners should identify any gaps in local provision and put in place service development plans to address this identified need.

General Practitioners: Northern Ireland

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive about shortages of GPs.

David Mowat: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not had any discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive about shortages of general practitioners (GPs). Health is a devolved subject; therefore GP recruitment in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Continuing Care

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for retrospective reviews for continuing healthcare have been refused in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for each such refusal.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for retrospective reviews for continuing healthcare in the North of England have been made in each of the last five years.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for retrospective reviews for continuing healthcare in the North of England have been successful in each of the last five years.

David Mowat: NHS England does not collect this information.

NHS: Public Consultation

Mr Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that public consultations on local NHS changes involve patients and the public.

Mr Philip Dunne: National Health Service bodies have a statutory duty to engage with patients and the public about service change. Principles for service change are enshrined in the four reconfiguration tests as mandated by the government to NHS England. All local reconfiguration plans should satisfy these tests which are: (i) strengthened public and patient engagements, (ii) support from GP commissioners, (iii) clarity on the clinical evidence base and (iv) support for patient choice. NHS England guidance on service change states that “effective involvement means being open and transparent about proposals enabling local stakeholders to have the opportunity to influence change.”[1] [1] Planning, assuring and delivering service change for patients, NHS England, October 2015 Pg 14

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the Government plans to introduce a cap on care bills for the elderly.

David Mowat: The Government is committed to ensuring that those in old age can access care that is both affordable and dignified. The position on the care cost cap has not changed. The 2015 Spending Review reaffirmed our commitment to implementing these reforms in April 2020, making funding available in 2019/20 to help local authorities prepare for implementation. Until then, financial support remains available on the basis of the current means test to help people pay for care to meet their eligible needs.

NHS: Drugs

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of profit made from the NHS by companies that own both a pharmaceutical wholesaler and a large multiple pharmacy chain in their (a) wholesale business and (b) pharmacies in each of the last five years; and what the permitted profit margins are in both parts of those businesses.

David Mowat: The Department has not made such an estimate.

Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions NHS England has had with clinical bodies on the introduction of new treatments based on immunotherapy.

David Mowat: NHS England already funds some immunotherapy treatments for kidney cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma. It has had detailed discussions around the potential use of immunotherapies with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence; the NHS England Chemotherapy Clinical Reference Group; and the Cancer Drug Fund team. They regularly draw on expertise from specific clinical professional groups and patient organisations when considering treatment decisions.

Heart Diseases: Diagnosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will take steps to encourage the use of the NT-proBNP test for heart failure.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will take steps to encourage the use of blood tests to provide early warning of potential heart attacks.

David Mowat: Natriuretic peptide testing, including the NT-proBNP test, is currently used in the diagnosis of heart failure and is the subject of recommendations in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance as well as a NICE commissioning toolkit. These resources are available on the NICE website at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg187 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg108 https://www.nice.org.uk/sharedlearning/a-commissioning-toolkit-for-use-of-natriuretic-peptide-assessment-for-suspected-heart-failure-in-primary-care Similarly, troponin blood tests are currently used in the diagnosis of heart attacks and are covered extensively by NICE. Resources can be found on the NICE website at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/dg15 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg94 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg167

Fibromyalgia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in each of the last five years.

David Mowat: This information is not collected. Fibromyalgia UK has estimated that around 2.5 million people in the United Kingdom are affected by fibromyalgia based on a study conducted in 2010. The study is available at: www.fmauk.org/general-articles-highlights-208/372-survey-of-five-european-countries-prevalence-of-fibromyalgia

Prescription Drugs: Waste Management

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce medicine waste.

David Mowat: Information is not held centrally on the annual cost or amount of dispensed but unused prescription drugs in the National Health Service. The Department commissioned the York Health Economics Consortium and the School of Pharmacy at the University of London to carry out research to determine the scale, causes and costs of waste medicines in England. The report, Evaluation of the Scale, Causes and Costs of Waste Medicines, was published on 23 November 2010. This found that the gross cost of unused prescription medicines in primary and community care in the NHS in England in 2009 was £300 million a year and that up to £150 million of this was avoidable. The report is available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/111804.pdf?repositoryId=90 NHS England is working with the Department and the NHS Business Services Authority to consider how value can best be obtained from the use of medicines, both in terms of patient outcomes and financial implications. This work, along with the medicines optimisation programme, will help ensure best value for both taxpayers and patients.

Surgery: Robotics

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many surgical operations were carried out by the NHS using robotic means in the last 12 months for which data exists.

Mr Philip Dunne: The data is not available in the form requested as a surgical operation can consist of several procedures which may or may not be carried out robotically. However, there were 6,968 finished consultant episodes with a primary or secondary robotic procedure in 2014-15, the last 12 months for which data is available.

General Practitioners

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what priority his Department accords to improving GP services through GP Forward View.

David Mowat: Improving general practice (GP) services is a priority for the Department, and the GP Forward View, published on 21 April by NHS England, sets out a package of support to help get general practice back on its feet, improve patient care and access, and invest in new ways of providing primary care. The Five Year Forward View recognised the need to expand and strengthen primary and ‘out of hospital’ care and to invest more in primary care. The Government is committed to improving access to GP services as part of the plan for a seven day NHS, and by 2020, everyone will be able to access GP appointments at evenings and weekends. Achieving improved access not only benefits patients but also has the potential to create more efficient ways of working, which benefits GPs and practice staff. The GP Forward View sets out that there will be an extra £2.4 billion investment per year for general practice services by 2020/21 – this represents a 14% increase in real terms. The overall investment for general practice includes a £500 million national 'turnaround' package to support GP practices. This is part of a wider package of support for general practice, which contains measures to help boost the workforce, drive efficiencies in workload and modernize primary care infrastructure and technology.

Carers: Living Wage

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that workers in the care sector are paid the full national living wage.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with care providers on funding the additional costs of introducing the national living wage.

David Mowat: Social care continues to be a key priority for the Government. This is why, against the context of tough public sector finances; the Government has taken steps to protect social care services. The Government is giving local authorities access to up to £3.5 billion of new support for social care by 2019/20. This should mean local government has access to the funding to increase social care spending in real terms by the end of the Parliament. This will support councils to continue to focus on core services and to pay fees which reflect provider costs including the National Living Wage. The Spending Review took into account a range of financial and economic factors, including projections and data on the National Living Wage from the Office of Budget Responsibility and Skills for Care. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must have regard to fostering an effective workforce with the appropriate capabilities when shaping their local markets. The Act and its statutory guidance make clear that prices and fee rates agreed with providers must reflect these new duties, including the National Living Wage. Social care workers play a vital role in our society and it is unacceptable that there are some circumstances where they are not being paid properly. Non-compliance with the National Living Wage is illegal and the Department is working with HM Revenue and Customs to help eliminate it from the home care sector. The Department has regular meetings with the trade bodies that represent the care sector and is grateful for the information provided that adds to our understanding of financial challenges including the National Living Wage. In addition major providers and associations in the care industry have formed their own taskforce to discuss key issues for the sector. The Department attends as an observer.

Strokes

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to address variations in stroke care and treatment across England.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from the Stroke Association and other stakeholders on the future of the National Stroke Strategy.

David Mowat: The Sentinel Stroke National Audit programme (SSNAP) continuously monitors the quality of stroke care across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Audit results are returned to providers so that they can identify areas for improvement. There is good evidence that providing detailed information in a timely way has enabled the quality of stoke care to steadily improve. Since the introduction of SSNAP nearly four years ago when no teams scored an 'A', there are now units achieving this level, indicating excellent care. The National Clinical Director for Stroke, in association with the clinical networks, continues to work with hospitals to support those in need of improvement. NHS England is aware that the provision of stroke care in the community remains an area that has not progressed as quickly as hospital care. However, providing data to teams and working with the clinical commissioning groups to ensure that appropriate services are commissioned should help to improve care. In August this year, NHS England’s Medical Director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, and Professor Anthony Rudd, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for stroke, met with Juliet Bouverie, the Chief Executive of the Stroke Association to discuss issues of common interest. Additionally, Professor Rudd meets regularly with various members of staff of the Stroke Association to ensure that the views of the charity are heard and understood. Departmental officials have also met with the Stroke Association.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the opinions of e-cigarette users and people who use other reduced risk products are represented at the WHO conference on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in November 2016.

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government's Tobacco Control Plan will be subject to change in response to the outcomes of the WHO conference on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in November 2016.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders to inform its negotiating position with other Parties attending the Conference of the Parties for the Framework on Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), including users of e-cigarette and other novel products. The Government recognises that e-cigarettes can help some smokers quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmful to health than cigarettes. However, they are not risk free and it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and continue to protect children from the dangers of nicotine. This is a position firmly grounded on the evidence base. The United Kingdom is a world leader in tobacco control and as such has already implemented the majority of the FCTC’s provisions and taken further action in line with its non-binding guidelines, for example introducing Standardised Packaging. There are few further guidelines being developed by the FCTC and the focus of the Convention is now on full and comprehensive implementation by all 180 Parties. We therefore do not expect the outcomes of the forthcoming Conference of the Parties to significantly alter our tobacco strategy, but will continue to offer our support and experience to help other countries fully implement the provisions of the Treaty, especially low and middle income countries.

Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 2.12 of the Government's mandate to NHS England for 2016-17, published in January 2016, what progress his Department has made on meeting the commitment to reduce the health gap between people with (a) autism, (b) mental health problems and (c) learning disabilities and the population as a whole.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to include in the Government's mandate to NHS England for 2017-18 an explicit requirement to reduce premature mortality among people with autism.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the rates of premature mortality as a result of (a) suicide and (b) epilepsy experienced by people with autism.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if his Department will publish an autism care pathway.

David Mowat: NHS England is due to publish data from the Clinical Commissioning Group Improvement and Assessment Framework. These data, include indicators on mental health and learning disabilities that relate to the objectives set out in the mandate to NHS England. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health will publish his Annual Assessment of NHS England, including progress against the mandate objectives, at the end of this financial year. The 2017-18 mandate to NHS England, including agreed future objectives for NHS England, will be published in due course. The ‘Think Autism’ Adult Autism Strategy for England set out a clear, cross-Government programme of action, developed with people with autism to improve lives, reduce premature mortality and reduce the health gap for people with autism. This would be achieved through better access to healthcare for people with autism and by making improvements to services. In January 2016, a cross-Government Report on progress on implementation of the Think Autism Strategy was published which set out new recommendations for going forward. The Department is represented on the Study Steering Committee for the SHAPE (Supporting adults with High-functioning Autism and Asperger syndrome) project. This is a national study led by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York. Stage 1 of the project aims to describe and map provision of autism services in England which fulfil the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s description of a Specialist Autism Team. A report will be published shortly including information about the service models and care pathways which different localities have implemented.

Autism

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of suicides among women with autism.

David Mowat: The cross-Government suicide prevention strategy, ‘Preventing suicides in England: a cross-Government outcomes strategy to save lives’ highlights various groups of people for which tailored approaches to meet their mental health needs are required to address risk of suicide. This includes people who are in contact with mental health and/or social care services and people who may experience social factors such as social isolation and social exclusion, which may be experienced by people with autism. We are looking at ways to strengthen the cross-Government suicide prevention strategy and will set out details later this year. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published a guideline in 2015, ‘Challenging behaviour and learning disabilities: prevention and interventions for people with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges’ which recommends interventions to mitigate risks, including for people with autism, such as self-harm and suicide.

NHS: Management Consultants

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS has spent on external management consultants' pay in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016 to date.

Mr Philip Dunne: We do not hold the information in the format requested.

Doctors' List of Patients

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average GP list size was in (a) England, (b) Cheshire and (c) Halton constituency in each year since 2010.

David Mowat: The information requested is in the attached document.



PQ49463 GP list size Halton
(Excel SpreadSheet, 21.38 KB)

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the Health Protection Agency study on the health effects of emissions from municipal waste incinerators to be published.

Nicola Blackwood: Public Health England funded study by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) at Imperial College and the Environmental Research Group at King’s College London investigating the potential link between emissions from municipal waste incinerators and health outcomes is ongoing. It is expected that papers from the project will be submitted by SAHSU to peer reviewed journals in spring 2017, and papers to be published later in the year.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he has taken to make clinical commissioning groups aware of their commissioning responsibilities as set out in the manual for prescribed specialised services in 2016-17.

David Mowat: Specialised services are the responsibility of NHS England. The ‘Manual for Prescribed Specialised Services 2016/17’ outlines which prescribed specialised services commissioned by NHS England are related to which services commissioned by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). It is one of a suite of products that NHS England has developed to facilitate the effective commissioning of specialised services. However, it does not attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of CCG commissioning responsibilities. The manual is available from NHS England’s website at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2016/06/pss-manual-may16.pdf

General Practitioners: Mental Health Services

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs in England have a specialism in mental health.

David Mowat: This information is not collected by the Department.

General Practitioners: Mental Health Services

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mental health workers are attached to GP practices in England.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 September 2016 to Question 44555.

Health Visitors

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent health visitors were employed in each of the last six years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent health visitors employed in National Health Service trusts and clinical commissioning groups in England in each of the last six years. Data for July 2016 will be published by NHS Digital on 25 October 2016. As at 30 June each year full-time equivalent2011201220132014201520167,6437,3938,0848,88710,0429,491Source: NHS Digital NHS Hospital and Community Health Service monthly workforce statistics

Social Services: Finance

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it remains Government policy to introduce a two per cent social care precept on council tax and additional funding for the Better Care Fund in 2017-18.

David Mowat: Yes. Local authorities who are responsible for social care will still have the flexibility in 2017-18 to raise council tax in their area by up to 2% above the existing threshold. This new funding for adult social care will be pooled with additional funding from the Better Care Fund.

Department of Health: Families

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what funding his Department has allocated to the Troubled Families programme for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

Nicola Blackwood: The Department has made no allocations to the Troubled Families programme over the three years 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19. Government funding for this programme is through Cabinet Office.

Health Services: North West

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many meetings have taken place in the Cheshire and Merseyside footprint area to discuss sustainability and transformation plans; and who attended those meetings.

David Mowat: Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are developed collaboratively by local organisations and partners and therefore this information is not held centrally. Meetings of the STP involved representatives from local partners across the footprint.

Women and Equalities

Members: Correspondence

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she expects to reply to the letter of 14 September 2016 from the Rt hon. Member for Camberwell and Peckham on the contract for future delivery of the Equality Advisory Support Service.

Caroline Dinenage: We are aware of the Rt Hon. Member’s letter of 14 September 2016 regarding the contract for future delivery of the Equality Advisory Support Service. I regret that we were not able to respond by her deadline of 10 October 2016 but assure the Rt Hon Member that the response has now been sent to her, as of Friday 21 October.